Safety device for swimming pools or the like



Feb. 28, 1967 c. F. HENDR-lCK 3,305,875

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SWIMMING POOLS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 11, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M67 INVENTOR.

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Feb. 28, 1967 c. F. HENDRICK 3,305,375

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SWIMMING POOLS OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed Aug. 11, 1964 INVENTOR CHARLES F. HENDRICK ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,305,875 SAFETY DEVICE FOR SWIMMING POOLS OR THE LIKE Charles F. Hendrick, 806 Jefferson St., Mendota, Ill. 61342 Filed Aug. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 388,829 Claims. (Cl. 4172) This invention relates to a safety device for swimming pools or the like and more particularly to a device for arresting stray electric currents in the vicinity of a swimming pool and grounding the same to preclude electrical shock to those swimming and working around the pool.

As conducive to .a better understanding of the instant inventive concept, it is to be understood that there is frequently stray electrical current in the vicinity of a swimming pool or the like from electrical machines or lights in nearby buildings such as concession stands, cabanas, or bath houses, or from lights, radios, record players, fans, or other such uses or appliances, or from other and possibly more remote sources. Such stray current can readily pass to puddles of water, or accumulations of water on the deck from whatever source, be it a sudden shower, hosing, spraying, dripping from swim suits or bodies or otherwise, on the deck surrounding the swimming pool. When a pool is filled with water there is frequently a side board or gutter area which may be dry, and if such side area, being the portion of the structure extending from the surface of the water in the pool, upward to the edge of the surrounding deck, is in fact dry it is an electrical insulator, leaving an electrical gap between the water on the deck and the water in the swimming pool which is conventionally grounded through drain pipes, fill pipes, circulating pipes, and the like. An individual in the pool reaching over the dry sideboard area and touching the water on the deck can complete the circuit and receive the electrical current through his body causing an electrical shock which can be fatal. Also, a workman standing in water on the deck in his bare feet can complete a circuit through his body by extending the metal pipe of a vacuum skimmer or the like into the water across the gap. Thus, it would be particularly advantageous to arrest any stray current which may gather in water on the deck area and ground the same before someone swimming or using the pool has an opportunity to bridge the gap and electrocute himself.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a safety device for arresting stray electrical currents in the vicinity of swimming pools or the like and continuously grounding the same.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electric current arrester grounding stray current in water on the deck area surrounding a swimming pool with the water in the pool itself.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a safety device of the type described which is attractive in appearance whereby it adds aesthetic beauty to the swimming pool.

A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of a device of the type described which is durable in construction, reliable and elficient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, install and maintain.

Other and further objects reside in the combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and features of construction.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary schematic top plan view of a swimming pool area incorporating one form of safety device in accordance with the instant inventive concept;

FIGURE 1A is a fragmentary schematic top plan view of a swimming pool or the like having a modified form of safety device used in conjunction therewith;

FIGURE 1B is a fragmentary schematic top plan view of the use of a still further modified embodiment of safety device in accordance with this invention used in conjunction with a swimming pool or the like;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view through a swimming pool and nearby building incorporating a safety device of the form shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a partial perspective view, partially in cross-section showing the swimming pool of FIGURE 1 and an equivalent schematic electrical circuit, which is grounded by the safety device of the instant invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, a conventional swimming pool is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and includes a quantity of water 12, a peripheral sideboard 14, having an outer surface area 15, including a scum gutter or the like 16 normally spaced above the water 12, a deck area 18 surrounding the sideboard 14 and any conventional building 20 having a source of electrical current 22 positioned near the swimming pool 10. A puddle of Water on the deck area 18 is designated at 24 and is shown schematically in FIGURE 2 as receiving a quantity of stray current 26 leaking from the source 22. It is to be understood that puddle 24 represents water on deck area 18 from whatever source; and that building 20 and source of electrical current 22 are illustrative of one only of the many ways in which such currents can originate.

One form of safety device in accordance with the instant inventive concept is designated generally by the reference numeral 30 and comprises a plurality of spaced loops 32, 34 (two being shown for illustrative convenience) of electrically conductive material such as brass or steel strips exposed on the surface of and carried by the deck 18 with a plurality of peripherally spaced conductive elements 36, 38 connecting the loops and peripherally spaced electrically conducting grounding elements 40, 42 connected to the innermost loop 32 and extending therefrom into electrical contact with the quantity of water 12 within the pool 10. As will be seen particularly in FIGURE 3, the grounding elements pass through the gutter 16 and have free terminal end portions extending into the water 12. The water 12 is conventionally grounded as explained hereinabove through pipe elements connected to the pool 10, but if such grounds are not present, any conventional grounding means may be added.

The closed loops 32, 34 may be added to existing swimming pools by cutting grooves into the deck area 18 in spaced relationship to the lip 44 of the sideboard 14 with additional grooves being cut to receive the conducting elements 36, 38 and the grounding elements 40, 42. If desired, any of these elements may be merely secured to the surface of the deck area, the sideboard area or the gutter, the grounding element 40 being shown as secured to the surface of the gutter 16 in FIGURE 3 for illustration. The conductive material may be in the form of brass terrazzo strips forming any desired design to increase the aesthetic appearance of the swimming pool.

The function of the device of the instant invention will now be apparent. Any stray current 26 passing to a puddle such as 24 on the deck area 18 of the swimming pool 10 will be grounded by passing through the closed loops and the connecting elements to the innermost loop and then through the grounding elements to the water in J the pool. This continual grounding of stray current precludes the possibility of a gap between the puddle and the water in the pool thereby avoiding accidental electrocutions of those swimming in the pool or working around the same.

It will be understood that in its simplest form only a single closed loop is carried by the deck area as shown at 46 in FIGURE 1A with one or more grounding elements 48 connecting the same to the water or to any other grounded member in the vicinity of the pool. In this figure parts similar to the embodiment of FIGURES 1, 2, and 3 are designated by like reference characters followed by the suflix a. A conventional diving board 50 is illustrated as broken away to show the loop 46 thereunder and a conventional ladder 52 is schematically shown for illustrative purposes.

In FIGURE 1B a more sophisticated embodiment of the instant inventive concept is shown with parts similar to the previous embodiments designated by like reference characters followed by the suflice b. In this embodiment a grid 54 of electrically conductive material is carried by the deck 18b defining an innermost loop 56 with grounding elements 58 extending therefrom into electrical contact with the quantity of water 12b within the pool.

Conductive loops in accordance with this invention may be readily incorporated into newly constructed pools as the concrete or other sideboards and deck areas are made.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved safety device for grounding stray electrical currents in the vicinity of a swimming pool or the like which satisfies all of the objectives of the instant invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to 4 be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a swimming pool containing a quantity of water and having a peripheral sideboard including portions normally spaced above the water and a deck surrounding the sideboard, the improvement which comprises at least one loop of electrically conductive material carried by the deck in spaced relationship to the sideboard,-and at least one grounding element connected to said loop and extending therefrom into electrical contact with the quantity of water within the pool.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the sideboard of the pool includes a peripheral gutter, said grounding element passing through the gutter and having a free terminal end portion extending into the quantity of water within the pool.

3. The structure of claim 1 including a plurality of peripherally spaced grounding elements each connected to said loop and extending therefrom into electrical contact with the quantity of water within the pool.

4. The structure of claim 1 including a plurality of spaced loops of electrically conductive material carried by the deck including an innermost loop, conductive elements connecting said loops, and at least one grounding element connected to said innermost loop and extending therefrom into electrical contact with the quantity of Water within the pool.

5. The structure of claim 1 including a grid of electrically conductive material carried by the deck, said grid defining an innermost loop and at least one grounding element connected to said innermost loop and extending therefrom into electrical contact with the quantity of water within the pool.

No references cited.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner. H. KARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SWIMMING POOL CONTAINING A QUANTITY OF WATER AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL SIDEBOARD INCLUDING PORTIONS NORMALLY SPACED ABOVE THE WATER AND A DECK SURROUNDING THE SIDEBOARD, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES AT LEAST ONE LOOP OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL CARRIED BY THE DECK IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO THE SIDEBOARD, AND AT LEAST ONE GROUNDING ELEMENT CONNECTED TO SAID LOOP AND EXTENDING THEREFROM INTO ELECTRICAL CONTACT WITH THE QUANTITY OF WATER WITHIN THE POOL. 